The Boy Who Was Awesome
by The lost Weasley twin
Summary: I have attempted to fix the errors and inconsistencies that have been discovered in the Harry Potter series. I have also tried to make the plots more plausible: replacing a series of lucky chances with good reasons the main trio are always in the action
1. Stone Ch 1: The Boy Who Lived

**_I am re-writing the Harry Potter story. He are the goals I hope to accomplish:_**

**_A) eliminate errors and inconsistencies that I and others have discovered_**

**_B) modify the mail plots so that, instead of a chain of 1000-1 coincidences leading the Trio to the climax of the novel, it will be a logical progression that leads them there_**

**_C) Add to the story additional canon information that JKR has given in inverviews and on _Pottermore.**

**_D) Eliminate the Americanization of the first few books._**

**_I will stick to the canon as much as possible, although (B) will force me to change canon events, sometimes drastically. I am also not attempting to write an artistic novel like JKR did, because I am not nearly that skilled at writing. My story will seem more like a historical record at times, because that was I can get away with poor fiction-writing skills :)_**

**_The law of fan fiction says that, if you give an advantage to the hero, you must give one to the villain. Forcing the Trio to logically find the bad guys instead of shear blind luck is certainly an advantage: I can think of half a dozen ways in which V could be defeated in the first book. So, to compensate I will employ the Predestination Paradox: No matter how differently the trio acts in the novel, somehow they will end up in the same situation in the end._**

**_My original intention was to re-write the books completely, except to change that which I thought could be improved. I decided against this for a number of reasons:_**

**_1) I would never be able to write the books as well as JKR did_**

**_2) I didn't want to get sued_**

**_3) The books are LONG!_**

**_If a certain event is not mentioned in my story, and you are unsure of whether it happened or not, then decide it for yourself with whichever makes you happier. _****_For instance, Dumbledore and Hagrid obviously carried Harry to safety after his parents death, even though I didn't write about it. On the other hand, I did not mention Harry running into the Weasleys at Kings Cross Station, and it obviously didn't happen in my story. Any event that is not in my story, but is unclear which of those 2 categories it belongs to, is for you to decide. I_****_**_n the first book I will not mention the troll incident. Did it occur or not? That is for you to decide. _**_**

**_I think JKR wrote these books, initially, from the hilt. She wrote them to be whimsical and to hook the reader. Therefore, she made some illogical rules which had to be tiptoed around in the later novels. I changed that, and wrote the first book with the same iron-clad Magical Laws that I will use in the last book._**

**_As I mentioned, I am removing the Americanization, even though I am from America. If you notice any American phrase or spelling most Britons would not know or use, please inform me so I can change them._**

**_On that note: If I missed an error in the books, let me know. If my characters are not following the most logical path which should lead them to their goals, let me know. If there is some bit of canon which I have missed (not deliberately changed, which I will occasionally do) which would enhance the story in your opinion, let me know. I have linked this pen name with an email account solely for this purpose. Email me anything you want to say, and I will take all into consideration when writing the story. I have no problem with going back and changing previous books if I write myself into a corner._**

**_I hope you enjoy my project. If I am a terrible writer, please let me know before i write 7 books of garbage. If it is good, also please let me know. I have never written fiction before, so I can only hope this will turn out well._**

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><p>"You wanted to see me, Mr. Dumbledore?"<p>

Hagrid entered the Headmaster's office. He had received a request to come talk to Dumbledore, and the request had sounded pretty urgent, so he came right away.

"Hagrid, 10 years ago, when Lily and James Potter selflessly sacrificed their lives to save their son, and all of Britain, from Voldemort, I put Harry in the care of Lily's sister and her husband. I could have instead put him with a good wizarding family, like the Bones' or the Weasleys. But I instead put him in the care of his uncle and aunt, both of whom are Muggles and neither of whom has, to my knowledge, treated Harry with the kindness and love he would have had in another family. Do you have any idea why I did this, Hagrid?

Hagrid thought a moment. Dumbledore never just said what he wanted to say. He always asked questions to make you figure it out for yourself. Hagrid liked this; he knew Dumbledore was smarter than he was, heck he was smarted than most of Britain. But Dumbledore's odd way of discussion always made you feel like you were on his level.

"Well, Mr. Dumbledore, sir, I guess it's because you were hiding him. From the Death Eaters, sir. Or because you put some sort of protection on them."

"Exactly, Hagrid!" said Dumbledore. "When Lily Potter sacrificed herself to save her son, she gave him a type of Old Magical protection that is passed on to any of her blood relatives. That is why I put Harry in their care; until he comes of age, or until he no longer lives with a blood relative of Lily, he is protected from Voldemort or any of his followers. I did what was best for Harry.

But in the following years, I fear Harry has been abused. He lives in a closet, Hagrid! Under the stairs! I have gone to his house twice since then to try to talk with Harry, and explain things to him, and both times I was refused entry by Vernon Dursley. I am almost certain that Harry has no idea he is a wizard, or even that the magical world exists. He does not know of the existence of Hogwarts, Sickes, or Quidditch. He is, for all intents and purposes, a Muggle-born wizard. Harry Potter, the most famous child in Britain, does not even know who his parents were! It's a travesty, Hagrid.

"We usually send a member of the staff: usually Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick or Professor Sprout. But Harry is special. Of course he needs teachers and mentors, as do all young children. But Harry has lived a terrible life, I fear. And because of that, Harry needs a friend. That is why I want to send you you to give him his Hogwarts acceptance letter."

"Me? Mr. Dumbledore, with all due respect, I don't think I can. What if I get caught using my umbrella? They'll figure out yeh fixed my wand, and who knows what they'll do to yeh for that."

"There will be no need to use magic, Hagrid. I have created a portkey that will send you directly to Harry Potter's house. You and Harry can take the train to and from Diagon Alley, and then you can use the portkey to come back to Hogwarts. And if you must perform a small bit of magic to get Harry to believe you, I certainly will not tell the ministry, and I do not think Mr. Potter will either. . I am asking you to go, Hagrid, and to be Harry's friend. Merlin knows he needs one. Will you do this, Hagrid?

He agreed. If Dumbledore thought it was necessary, Hagrid would trust his judgement.


	2. Stone Ch 2: Diagon Alley

**_Notes from the previous chapter:_**

**_Why would D have sent owl to Harry when he knew he was Muggle-raised? Most Muggle-raised children get a personal visit. Even then after the first owl, why keep sending them? Why were owls sent before his birthday, but Hagrid was sent on his b-day? Why was Hagrid sent instead of a professor? I tried to answer all these questions as best as I could._**

**_Also, sorry if I screw up Hagrid's dialect. Typing it gives me a headache._**

**_This chapter:_**

**_How could Hagird afford an owl? Purebred dogs (The first time I wrote this, I typed "pureblood dogs) cost a fortune, I would imagine an owl would be even worse, especially a snowy owl which is not native to the area._**

**_I doubt Harry would hate anyone right away. I gave him a bit more time to start hating Malfoy._**

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><p>Diagon Alley.<p>

This was, by far, the most interesting day of Harry's life. At midnight, he had met Hagrid, who could be nothing other than a giant, and had learned he was a wizard. Not just _a _wizard, but apparently the most famous child wizard in Britain. The following morning had confirmed this; after arriving at a bar which Harry would swear did not exist until Hagrid pointed it out, every occupant had personally thanked him for destroying "You-Know-Who". He tried explaining that he didn't, and couldn't destroy _anyone _at 1 year old, but Hagrid explained to Harry that this belief had inspired people all over Britain, and people needed inspiration like that after a decade of evil and darkness, whether or not it was based on correct information. Harry agreed, but insisted on buying a hat to cover his scar before any further encounters like this.

Harry had then discovered he was the richest person he knew. When his parents died he had gained both their inheritance and untold thousands of "Galleons" (gold coins used in the wizarding world) from bounties on Voldemort's head; all of which earned considerable interest in the 10 years that followed. Hagrid then offered to buy Harry an owl for his birthday. When they entered the Owl Emporium, a beautiful (and rather expensive, Harry thought) snowy owl took an instant liking to him. Harry got the notion that Hagrid could not afford such an expensive owl, and insisted on buying it himself. He then asked Hagrid for some items from the Sweets shop instead, and explained to Hagrid that candy which made one eating it hover inches off the ground was the best birthday present a boy new to the magical world could have. He could have done without the jellybeans, though. He liked them until he got one that he could have sworn was tripe, which Hagrid found very amusing and which explained why they were "Every Flavor" jellybeans.

Now Harry was being fitted for a robe. A pale boy with a rather pointy face and platinum-blonde hair was being fitted in the same room.

"Hello," said the boy. "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes", said Harry.

"Where are your parents? Mine are buying my supplies at the moment. I think when I'm done here, I will bring them to Quality Quiddich Supplies and try to convince Father to get me a Nimbus 2000 so I can sneak it in. I think it's so _stupid_ they don't let first years have one"

Harry was instantly reminded of Dudley. The boy's pale features implied he, like Harry's cousin, spent most of his time indoors, possibly also on the Sega Mega Drive. His drawl implied he, also like Dudley, was spoiled and had his father wrapped around his little finger. Still, Harry was not about to start making enemies on his first day in Magical Britain, so he decided to be nice, and ignore the boy's snooty attitude. He also wanted to avoid mentioning his own name. The last thing he needed when trying to earn friends was people knowing he was the most famous boy in Magical Britain. His hat was hiding the scar for now, but he knew any questions regarding himself would out him instantly.

"Yes, everyone would love a Nimbus 2000. It might be tricky to sneak one in though". Harry hadn't the slightest idea what he was talking about, but made it sound convincing nonetheless.

"Not for a Malfoy" said the boy. "Father gave me a trunk that could fit a hundred brooms."

So the Nimbus 2000 was a broom. Now Harry was even more confused.

"I'm going to be a Slytheryn. All the Malfoy's are. What house were your parents in?"

"My parents are dead, and I don't know what house they were in. After they died I was raised by Muggles"

"Raised by Muggles? Surely your parents were not Muggles, were they?"

"No, they were a witch and a wizard. Very good ones from what I have heard. I was too young when they died to remember them, though."

"I'm very sorry to hear that. What were their names?" The boy didn't even stop to let Harry answer. He hardly slowed down enough to breathe. Harry got the impression he liked hearing his own voice. "I could tell you were pure-blood from the second I met you. I don't even think they should let Muggle-borns in. Everyone knows they're not as good at magic as pure-bloods. Well, it looks like I am done here. I'll see you on the train!"

Harry scraped by there. The boy would find out who he was soon enough, and Harry was glad they had a decent conversation first. At least, the boy had a conversation while Harry listened. He was also glad his parents were magical; from what the boy had said, people with Muggle parents could be magical but have lesser abilities. Harry was already disadvantaged enough not knowing anything about magic, not having the same abilities as everyone else would be too much to bear.

After getting fitted for his robes, Harry met Hagrid outside and ate the ice cream cone the man gave him. "Hagrid, I met a boy who told me children born to Muggles were not as good as magic as children born to magical parents. Will my magic be strong? After all, I was _raised_ by Muggles, and never even heard of magic before this morning."

"Harry, yeh shouldn' talk like that! You-Know-Who came to power mainly 'cause of all the people who believe in that pure-blood nonsense. I told yeh yer mum was one of the best witches I knew, didn' I? Well, her parents were about as Muggle as they come. Yeh can ask Dumbledore if yeh like, he'll tell yeh there in' an ounce of difference 'tween a wizard born to Muggles or one born t' a magical family."

Harry and Hagrid finished their ice cream while Hagrid answered Harry's questions about the wizarding world. Harry felt he still had a lot of questions to ask when Hagrid announced that it was time for Harry to buy a wand, and therefore truly become a wizard.


	3. Stone Ch 3: Ollivander

**_Question: Does it make sense that wands cost 7 Galleons apiece when some contain unicorn hair, which costs, 10 Galleons?_**

**_Answer: No, it does not. There must be some method of pricing wands by the ingredients._**

**_I am a big fan of Wand Lore. JKR mentions it a lot on pottermore and interviews, so I brought it into the main story. Also, why did Ollivander measure Harry if he didn't use that to figure out what wand he would use?_**

* * *

><p>As Harry and Hagrid entered Ollivander's ('Fine Wands since 382 B.C.' the sign had said.) a very old man with silver hair approached them. "Ah! first year at Hogwarts, I imagine. Your name?"<p>

Harry couldn't exactly weasel his way out of this one, and told the man his name.

"Yes, yes. I see the resemblance. I sold your parents their wands, you know."

Mr. Ollivander measured Harry with a measuring tape. Harry could understand measuring his hands, fingers, and arm, but could not for the life of him understand why he was now being measured between the nostrils. Still, when it was done, Mr. Ollivander looked at it, thought for a moment, and said "Twenty-five centimetres. Definitely".

He then walked to one wall and pulled down a wand. "This one is walnut. Always best to start with walnut, I say. You wouldn't believe the amount of wizards who are suited to a walnut wand. Makes my life a lot easier". Harry took the wand, but it was immediately taken from him. "No, that's no good. Let's try mahogany. Like father, like son, perhaps". After trying the mahogany wand and finding it unsatisfactory, Harry tried a poplar wand, a laurel wand, and a pear wood wand, all of which were taken from him. He then tried a holly wand, which produced a small spark.

"Ah-hah!" said Mr. Ollivander. "Holly it is. Let's try one a bit longer." Mr. Ollivander left to retrieve another wand. "Here, twenty-eight centimetres. Try this one out." Harry put it in his hands and flicked it, as he had done with his previous wands. The wand shot a blast of sparks through the air.

"There we go! The wand has chosen an owner. This moment alone makes me love this job. What is the core, I wonder?" Mr. Ollivander turned the box over. "A phoenix feather. Interesting. Wait, from Fawkes? It can't be!" He gasped with surprise. "I am sorry, but I simply cannot sell you this wand. Let us try one with a unicorn hair core instead." Mr. Ollivander nervously turned to walk away, until Harry stopped him.

"Now hold on one second. I've been trying wands for a half an hour, and that one is obviously perfect for me. You said yourself that it chose me as its owner. Why aren't you selling it to me?"

"Mr. Potter, Fawkes, the phoenix that gave its tail feather for that wand, only gave one other feather. I put that feather in a wand; thirty-five centimetres, if I am not mistaken. An extraordinarily powerful wand made of yew. I sold it in 1938 to a young wizard just staring Hogwarts, as you yourself are today. Ten years ago, that wizard used that wand to give you the scar that you are currently covering with that hat. If I knew its twin was still in my store, I would have destroyed it that very day. I simply cannot sell it."

Harry thought about this for a second. "What does this mean? Is this wand evil? Will it channel You-Know-Who? (Harry learned not to use Voldemort's name as it caused those who heard it to flinch, which hurt him to see.) Will it harm me?"

"Honestly, Mr. Potter, I do not know. There are rumors that twin wands react strangely when they attack each other, not that this would be a problem in this case since You-Know-Who was vanquished and his wand presumably destroyed. But then again, there are many rumors in wand lore, most of which are rubbish. I still cannot think of any good coming from using the twin of his wand, and therefore, I must destroy it.

Harry was very persistent now. "Mr. Ollivander, please! I just found out about the magical world this morning. I will need all the help I can get to keep up with the rest of the students who have probably been studying their entire life. You said yourself this wand chose me, and that means it is the best wand for me. Please don't make me use an inferior wand, and therefore be at more of a disadvantage than I already am. For all we know, the fact that they are brothers is completely irrelevant."

Mr. Ollivander thought about this for a second. "Well, I guess you have a point. I certainly don't want to see a wizard have to use a reluctant wand. I will sell it to you, but if that wand _ever_ begins to act strangely, you must come for a replacement immediately, do you understand? I will give it free of charge, of course."

Harry agreed. Mr. Ollivander seemed to do some math in his head. "Twenty-eight centimetres—Holly—Phoenix—. With tax, that comes out to seven Galleons and a sickle. Let's just call it seven Galleons." Harry handed over the money.

Now please stand still, Mr. Potter." Mr. Ollivander took out his wand and said some strange words over Harry."This is called the Trace. Now that you have your wand, the Ministry will be informed when any sort of magic is performed in your vicinity. If they believe no other witches or wizards are near you, and therefore that you performed underage magic, there will be consequences.

"Enough of that. Let me tell you about your wand! Holly is a very distinctive wood for a wand. Holly wands often choose owners who are part of something greater than themselves. And a wand with a phoenix core is very powerful, although it may take longer to master than a wand with a unicorn hair core. The two rarely work well together, but when a holly and phoenix wand does find a suitable owner, that owner is very lucky indeed. And the fact that a boy of your size is using an twenty-eight centimetre wand speaks highly of your character"

Harry thanked Mr. Ollivander, and pondered these words as he exited the shop. Hagrid and Harry left Diagon Alley and headed for the train station for Harry to go back home. As they were waiting for Harry's train, Hagrid handed Harry a folder full of papers.

"Here's all the information yeh'l need to start Hogwarts, Harry. Jes read it all 'fore yeh come. Yer train ticket's in there, too. First Monday in September, 'leven-o-clock. Platform 9 3/4. There's a paper tellin yeh how to get there in the folder."

Hagrid helped Harry onto his train. "If those Muggles give yeh any trouble, yeh jes send a letter with Hedwig. She'll find me, and I'll give that boy something worse than a pig's tail this time!". Harry laughed, and left to find a seat in the train. When he looked out, though, Hagrid was gone.


	4. Stone Ch 4: Journey from Kings Cross

_**I am really, really sorry for changing the way you enter Platform 9 ¾. I view this as almost a sacred aspect of HP; they even have a memorial to it in the station! But logically it didn't make sense, so it had to go.**_

_**I also noted something that seemed to be passed over in the books: Muggle-raised kids were told of Magic on their 11th birthday, which happens on different times of the year, but they all start Hogwarts at the same time.**_

_**I finally get to use the word "loo" in a sentence. What a great word.**_

* * *

><p>The next month was an uneventful one for Harry. He spent the entire time locked away in his room. The idea behind getting your books early, one of the documents had said, was to give you time to read ahead and prepare for the first day of school. They also made it clear he was not to try any magic or there would be pretty severe consequences. He left his wand in the trunk he had purchased from Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment. Magical trunks were very useful in that the inside was much bigger than the outside, which gave Harry plenty of room for the rest of the items he had purchased during his trip with Hagrid.<p>

So Harry spent the entire next month reading his books furiously. The books on magical spells seemed the most interesting, but were fairly useless without a wand. So instead Harry read the only slightly less interesting books about magical beasts and herbs. Harry figured these were things children from wizarding families would know, so it was his best way to catch up. His only company was his owl named Hedwig, named after St. Hedwig of Silesia who, according to _A History of Magic,_ had started the first owl post in Poland. He left her cage door and his window open so she could fly free if she wanted. She kept bringing him dead mice, though, and put them next to him as if expecting praise or thanks.

On the first day of September, Harry rose early in the morning. He surely would not miss the most important train ride of his life. He took the first train to London, then the tube to King's Cross Station. This should have been very difficult to do, but Harry's trunk was, through some enchantment, surprisingly light, so he carried it along with Hedwig's cage easily. He did not dare put Hedwig in the trunk, because he didn't know if the trunk would contain enough oxygen and didn't want to try it out. When he arrived at King's Cross Station, he was not surprised that he could not find Platform 9 ¾. The papers Hagrid had given him said to "ask the old guard", and sure enough an ancient old man in an official-looking uniform sat on a chair right between platforms 9 and 10. Harry wanted to ask the man about the platform, but didn't want to sound like an idiot if this was the wrong person.

"Excuse me, sir. Is there a platform around here?"

"Lookin for the Hogwarts platform? It's right here, see?"

Harry was glad the man knew what he was talking about. He looked where he was pointing. Somehow, where it looked like there had been only brick before, he saw an archway leading to a platform! It must have been disguised the same way as the Leaky Cauldron; until someone showed it to you, your eyes passed right over it. Harry thanked the guard and passed through.

He had arrived early, so he bought and read a copy of _The Daily Prophet_, the magical newspaper. Harry knew from his illustrated textbooks that Wizards had a way of making pictures move, but it was still fascinating to him. He hardly even read the words in the paper, because they were so uninteresting compared to the pictures. Soon, the time was coming to board the train which was guided by a beautiful bright scarlet steam engine. The train seemed rather small, but Harry noticed as he entered that it, like many things in Magical Britain, was much bigger on the inside than the outside. Harry had always been a loner, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to sit by the Malfoy boy even if he had seen him, so he found a compartment by himself. He removed a few textbooks from the trunk to read on the ride, then easily lifted it along with Hedwig's cage into the luggage rack. He was halfway through the chapter on Bubotubers when the compartment door slid open and a young redheaded boy stepped in.

"Is this seat taken?"

* * *

><p>Ron and Harry clicked immediately. Harry was glad he put Hedwig's cage on the luggage rack, because it would surely see Ron's rat Scabbers as a meal and possibly a present for Harry. Ron seemed to be a little depressed, which Harry could not understand. How could you possibly be depressed in a world where, for 2 Sickles you can buy bubblegum and blow a bubble a metre in diameter, as Ron was currently demonstrating? The candy <em><span>did<span>_ seem to cheer Ron up a bit, as candy usually does to people who are feeling down. Ron told Harry all about Quidditch, and Harry could not wait to see his first match. Football, on broomsticks? And, to make it better, there is a magically enchanted ball trying to knock everyone off! How did they come up with this stuff?

Then they met Hermione. She seemed a bit bossy, but again Harry was not being very picky about who his friends would be at the moment.

"I already read and memorized my books. I wanted to try the magic, but that would be breaking the rules, and I'm certainly not going to do that. Have you read all of the course material yet?"

Ron responded in the negative. Harry had the impression that wizarding children either knew all about magic from the start, or else had no interest in learning about it before they had to, as Harry had in his Muggle classes. This contrasted with the insatiable desire that Harry, and it seemed Hermione also, had to learn as much about magic as possible.

"How on earth did you memorize eight books in a month? That's impossible."

"A month? I got my books almost a year ago, on the day I turned eleven. Professor Flitwick arrived at my house and explained magic to my parents and I, then brought me to Diagon Alley. And I memorized twelve books, not eight. Professor Flitwick showed me some extra books I should read to learn the magical culture. You were in three of them, Harry Potter."

Well this hardly seemed fair. Not only did Harry not grow up in a wizarding family, but even the rest of the Muggle-raised children got their books before him! And to top it off, although he would not have traded his day with Hagrid for anything, he wished he had gotten advice on extra books to buy.

"What house do you think you will be in? Professor Flitwick says I'm Ravenclaw to the core."

Ron said that every Weasley in history had been a Gryffindor, and he therefore had no real choice in the matter. Harry didn't know much about the houses, so Ron explained the differences, but Harry guessed he might be simplifying it a bit. "Smart kids in Ravenclaw, dumb kids in Hufflepuff. Evil kids in Slytherin, nice kids in Gryffindor".

"Ron! That is not nice! Hufflepuff is not for _dumb_ kids, it is a house for those who value hard work and loyalty". She really did sound like a textbook. Harry understood the argument she was making, but wasn't going to get in the middle of it. Ron looked like he wanted to argue the point, but mumbled something under his breath instead. Hermione, after realizing there was no more possibility of intellectual discourse in this cabin, left after a few seconds.

* * *

><p>A while later, the Malfoy boy came in. He was surrounded by two boys who, from the comic books Harry read after stealing them from Dudley, would best be described as "minions". They were both ugly, thickset, and did not look very intelligent.<p>

"Hello _Mr_. Malfoy" said Harry, with a touch of irony. He didn't know the kids first name, so he tried to pass it off as a joke.

"Malfoy? How do you know the Malfoy's?" Ron looked at Harry like he grew an extra eye on his forehead.

"Jealous, Weasley? I know _I_ am. We can't all have a pet rat like that one, after all." The minions sniggered. "And it's Draco, but everyone calls me Malfoy, of course. These are Crabbe and Goyle." Malfoy gestured behind him. He then turned to Harry. "Potter, you should know: not all wizarding families are created equal. I certainly would not want The-Boy-Who-Lived to be ostracized at school because he is associated with a _Weasley_. I can certainly help you with that, if you would like". Malfoy stuck out his hand to Harry.

"Thank you for the offer, Malfoy, but I am not particularly fond of people who tell me who I can or can't hang out with" Friends are one thing, but this kid was becoming too much.

"Fine, Potter. Do as you wish. But know that hanging out with riff-raff like this one will rub off on you."

Ron stood and put his nose two inches from Malfoy's. "Say that again". Harry was impressed, considering that Malfoy was flanked by two eleven-year-olds who were probably already shaving. The tall minion reached his arm towards Ron's neck, but before he even touched Ron, he screamed in pain. Ron's rat had bitten into his finger, hard. The boy screamed and shook his hand frantically.

"Stop waving your hand, you idiot" said the shorter goon. "We can zap it off if you just stop moving!" Harry guessed the shorter boy was the smarter of the two, although he realized that quite possibly _anyone_ was smarter than the boy currently hitting his hand against the wall trying to dislodge the rat. Finally, Scabbers let go, and the three boys left, scowling.

The conductor announced that they were approaching Hogwarts. Harry had changed into his robes in the loo the second he arrived on Platform 9 ¾, but he waited for Ron to change, and then they left the train to start their first year of school.


	5. Stone Ch 5: The Sorting Hat

_**I read "Methods of Rationality", and I like the idea of redemption of Slytherin, but I don't think I should depart from canon too much to do that. I do think Salazar, at least, should be redeemed, and attempt to do so here. And yes, I have an idea which will still give a good reason for the existence of the C of S.**_

_**I also like the idea that The Boy Who Lived should have a slightly longer than normal sorting. Neville had 4 minutes, by Merlin's Beard, so Harry should at least have more than a sentence.**_

* * *

><p>Next came the sorting ceremony. It was a simple idea: You put on a hat, and it told you what house you were sorted into. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle all got sorted into Slytherin. It hadn't been on any of their heads a second before deciding that. A bit more extraordinary were Hermione and a boy whom Harry had seen on the ride to Hogwarts but did not think was very bright. Harry assumed Hermione would go into Ravenclaw and the boy would go to Hufflepuff, as he seemed to meet the qualifications Ron said were needed for that house. Instead, each of them took a few minutes to be sorted, and both were put into Gryffindor. Before Harry knew it, his name was called. The entire hall fell silent at the sound of his name. Maybe he <em><span>was<span>_ the most famous kid in Britain. If so, this would be a very long year.

He walked to the stool, put on the hat, and heard a voice in his head.

"Hmmm. You are a very difficult one to judge. You have plenty of ambition, you would do well in Slytherin. But your character certainly would be well-suited to Gryffindor. You are not fueled by the unquenchable thirst for knowledge that would define a Ravenclaw, though, but you are lonely and can use the friendship Hufflepuff brings. So I must ask: which house do you want to be in, and more importantly, why?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Ron said that Slytherins believed in blood purity, and I don't think I believe in that sort of stuff"

"Nonsense!" said the hat. Maybe that was the wrong word; the hat was not speaking, it was merely thinking into Harry's head. "The reputations of the houses today are twisted beyond any recognition of what the founders originally intended. Do you even know why Salazar Slytherin was a blood purist?"

Harry hesitated before realizing he was expected to answer. "Because he thought Muggle-born wizards were less powerful". That's what Malfoy had said in any case.

"Of course not. Salazar was a blood purist out of _self-defense_. I'm not here to give history lessons, but when Hogwarts was still a fairly new school, before I was even created, Muggles were starting to fear witches and wizards and started persecuting us. Salazar feared that Muggle-borns would turn on the rest of the magical world and destroy us, and Godric Gryffindor disagreed. I know little of modern events; all of my knowledge was imparted to me from the founders, or from children discussing their sorting. But from these discussions, I know that the concept of blood purity as relating to magical ability is fairly new. It has only been mentioned in the past five centuries or so. (Harry thought how old the hat had to be to refer to 500 years as "fairly new). I sort children into Slytherin who are cunning and intelligent enough to find any means to an end. Some request Slytherin because they view it as a pure-blood house, and I grudgingly comply. I sort children into Ravenclaw not because they are smart, but because they seek knowledge above all else. I sort children into Gryffindor because they are chivalrous and brave, and put the needs of others above their own. I sort children into Hufflepuff because they are hard working and loyal, or because they are isolated and need the kindness and loyalty of others to reach their full potential. Seriously, you would know this if you actually listened to the song. Now, what is your _true_ reason for choosing a house?

Harry thought about it this. It was quite possibly the most important decision he would make at Hogwarts. He never had much friends as a child, but did not think he would enjoy having 150 or so people call him their best friend. He didn't care what the hat said about Slytherin; maybe it had started as a good house, but when enough people give something an incorrect definition long enough, the definition changes to fit their beliefs. Like it or not, Slytherin was now a pure-blood house. The hat did not give him Ravenclaw as an option, and growing up with Dudley made him hate bullies, so he saw the value in helping those that could not help themselves. He was a Gryffindor. He began to explain this to the hat.

"No need" thought the hat. "I heard you. Fine choice, boy. GRYFFINDOR!". It shouted this last bit out loud, and the Gryffindor table went berserk as Harry, grinning from ear to ear, jogged over.


	6. Stone Ch 6: Neville Longbottom

_**Wand Lore: Holly wands are powerful, but take a long time to master. The books hint at this, but I wanted to drive the point home. I really wanted to emphasize how important wands are. I also went into detail on Neville's sorting, which is actually pretty close to canon according to Pottermore. I also use Wand Lore to explain why Neville was so bad, and why he was so much better when his wand broke and he got a new one.**_

_**One day I will put an explination for why Hermione was not in Ravenclaw, but this type of thing is rather tedius, and twice in one book would be boring. **_

* * *

><p>Harry realized in his first day that Hagrid was right. Hermione, even being Muggle-born, was the best witch in their year, better than all the pure-bloods combined. He was the typical average wizard, in the middle of every class. The only classes he did well at were the ones that involved memorization instead of magic. It's not that Harry was good at memorization, not like Hermione anyway. But Harry thought he would never excel at applied magic, so he might as well be good at that which he had control over.<p>

Potions was a bit more complicated. You needed to prepare the ingredients exactly. You needed to add them at exactly the right time into the potion. Every single minute detail had to be carried out to the letter. If the book told you to stir the potion clockwise, and you stirred it anti-clockwise, it would probably cause boils rather than prevent them. Harry did a pretty good job memorizing the ingredients, where they were from and what they were used for. He studied hours for the tests, and could usually write, from memory, the exact recipe and get a very high grate on the written portions. But, in practice, he just didn't get it. He would add the correct ingredient, then look back at the book, and realize he was supposed to immediately be sirring the cauldron, or turning up the heat. He would try to correct his error, but it was no good. His potion would then turn out to not quite have the desired effect.

He still was better than Neville, the boy whom Harry had assumed would be in Hufflepuff. His potions usually ended up melting the cauldron or self-igniting or some other disastrous result. Harry also was very disappointed with himself with misjudging Neville. He was not unintelligent at all; in fact, he was top of the class in Herbology. You didn't want him within 5 metres of a cauldron or a broomstick, though, but in the other classes he seemed to scrape by. Harry believed his problem was not lack of skill or intelligence, but instead lack of confidence. This confused Harry even more, since it seemed Neville would be perfect in Hufflepuff, and that house would truly have helped him reach his full potential. Harry and Neville were far from friends, but Harry had protected Neville from bullies a few times, and they often talked between classes or when studying. One night when Ron was off chasing his brothers for some reason, Harry told Neville about his observations, and asked why he was not in Hufflepuff.

"I wanted to be in Hufflepuff, I really did. I even asked the hat to put me there. When he asked me why, I said it was because I wasn't brave enough to go to Gryffindor, and the reputation it had intimidated me. He, or it probably, said 'That's not good enough'. The hat told me I was brave, but afraid to show it. It said it knew I always would put the greater good above my own wants. Gran was very old-fashioned and raised me to always be a gentleman, and the hat recognized this as well and pointed it out to me. It told me that, because of this, Gryffindor would make me a better wizard and a stronger person in the end even though Hufflepuff would make my life at Hogwarts easier. It gave me the final choice, and after what it said, I chose Gryffindor. I think it may have been wrong, though. I'm bottom of the class in everything except Herbology, and that's just because Gran taught it to me as a kid when she thought I was a Squib."

Harry then pointed at Neville's wand. "Neville, please don't be offended when I ask you this. Ron gets very sensitive when this subject arises, and if you do as well, please don't get upset. I promise I have a very good reason for asking this, but why are you using your father's wand?"

"Until the acceptance letter came for Hogwarts, Gran thought I was a Squib. I showed almost no magical ability as a kid. When it came, she gave me my father's wand hoping it would give me some of the magical ability he had. She said when I proved myself as a wizard, she would buy me a new one. Grad raised me very well, but she was rather strict."

Harry didn't ask about Neville's parents. Lots of kids at Hogwarts lost parents to Voldemort, and bringing it up was never a good idea. People didn't like reliving the memory of seeing their parents' skin hanging by a nail on the wall, or whatever other horrible death Voldemort subjected them to to make an example to others.

"Neville, I spoke with Mr. Ollivander about wands. I was given the distinct impression that each wizard must find their own unique wand. Do you think this may explain your performance in classes? Maybe your wand is not allowing you to use your full potential."

"Maybe. But I don't think Gran buys into stuff like that. She's of the mentality that a good wizard should be able to use a pencil and produce good spells"

"Anyway, Neville, you _are_ getting better every week. You know Hermione has offered to help you whenever you like, and I will extend the same offer, although I'm not nearly as good as she is. We may not be Hufflepuff, but we Gryffindors know how to help our own as well." In the meantime, Harry tried to think of a way to get Mr. Ollivander to have a word with Neville's Gran.


	7. Stone Ch 7: Quidditch

_**Like Platform 9 3/4: I am destroying something sacred here, and I apologize. I totally could have eliminated this chapter, but the Quidditch rules were so haphazardly thought up that I needed to change it. If you like my story, and don't want to see Quidditch dragged into a dark alley and knocked unconscious, then you can skip this chapter and miss nothing. (Thanks James Nicoll)**_

_**Why are all the methods of scoring divisible by 10? Something needs to be made worth 1, or 3, or 7 to make the scoring system logical. Otherwise, goals would be 1 point and the snitch 15. I also destroyed the current rules on the Snitch. Again, it was written to be funny, not to be rules for a game that would actually be played.**_

_**Since this chapter was optional, I decided to leave the "lucky coincidences" and instead point them out in glaring fashion. I think it's rather funny.**_

* * *

><p>Harry was the youngest Hogwarts Seeker in over a century. Not because he was the most talented Seeker in over a century, but because he was the most lucky. During a scuffle (on flying broomsticks, no less) with Draco Malfoy who was for the hundredth time bullying Neville Longbottom, Draco had stolen some trinket from Neville and hurled it towards the forest as if to have Neville never find it again. Harry chased after the trinket, caught it, and it was just luck that he was seen by Professor McGonagall.<p>

Gryffindor house, just by luck, lost both of last year's Seekers to graduation, so Harry was allowed to try out for the team. Of course, by "allowed to" Harry meant "was threatened by Professor McGonagall with a month of detention if he didn't". By pure luck, only one other person tried out, so Harry was guaranteed the backup position just by showing up.

Oliver Wood, the Captain of Gryffindor team, released a dozen practice Snitches on the pitch. Whoever got the most won the spot. The other person trying out was a third-year girl whose name Harry forgot. She saw most of the Snitches before Harry (He didn't have the best eyesight), but Harry was a natural on the broomstick and could usually outrun her before she reached them. She only had three Snitches before Harry caught his seventh and won by majority. Therefore, partly by being a rather good broom rider, but mainly by being in the right place at the right time, Harry became the only first-year on a Hogwarts Quidditch team in the last 9 years and the youngest Seeker in a century.

Harry enjoyed being on the team. First years were unusual on Hogwarts' Quidditch teams, but not unheard of, and being on the team allowed Harry to circumvent the rule that normally kept first-years from having brooms. Professor McGonagall, to whom Dumbledore had delegated responsibility over Harry's finances, told Harry she would allow him to use his bank vault at Gringotts to purchase it.

He owled "Quality Quidditch Supplies" for a catalogue. He was intent on buying the best broomstick they sold, but then he looked at the catalogue and saw the price for the best broomstick was listed as "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." He flipped through the catalogue, amazed at how expensive brooms were. He settled on the Nimbus 2000 for a rather stupid reason. Sure, it was only a fraction of the price of the professional models. Sure, someone mentioned that Nimbus made the best brooms for the money. Sure, it looked good. But none of those were the reason he bought it. He bought it because it was the exact broom Malfoy mentioned in Diagon Alley, and he knew every Knut of the 150 Galleon price would be worth seeing Malfoy's face when he saw it. He sent Hedwig back with one of the enchanted parchments Gringotts had given him (the magical equivalent of a Muggle cheque) authorizing Gringotts to give Q.Q.S. 170 Galleons (including tax), and two days later, he had his very own broom.

* * *

><p>Of course, before Harry would even allow himself to play Quidditch, he had to read up on it first. The rules were simple enough: Chasers try to score, Keepers try to block them. The game lasts for 90 minutes, and goes into overtime if needed after that. Much like football, except it had Beaters, whose goal was to protect their own Chasers from two magically enchanted bloodthirsty Bludgers. Every time a Chaser got hit by a Bludger, their team would lose a point (and, depending on how hard the hit was, quite possibly a Chaser as well). The Beaters therefore defended their own Chasers from the Bludgers and also tried to hit them at the other team.<p>

Then there was the Golden Snitch. This was the only important ball to Harry. His only job in the entire match was to look for it, and try to catch it before the other Seeker. Catching it was worth 75 points, which meant the team that caught it usually won the match. Harry read that Quidditch did not always have the Snitch; it was introduced by a spectator at an apparently rather boring match in 1269. The rules for the Snitch were initially much different than they were now. The Snitch used to be worth 150 points, and the match would not end until a Seeker caught it. After a few centuries of this, it was realized this was the dumbest rule ever created in a game, because

a) the most obvious problem, a match had once lasted for six months before the teams finally gave up,

b) in almost every game played, the overwhelming strength of the Snitch's points made the rest of the game bloody pointless. Imagine a football match which is played while two players play a game of cribbage, and whoever wins the card game gets ten goals added on to their team's score

c) in the rare instance in which your football team _is_ bad enough to allow ten goals against it, but your player does win the cribbage hand, it ends the game automatically and you _still _lose.

So the rules for the Snitch were modified through the centuries until they became what they were today. The team whose Seeker caught the Snitch did not always win, of course, but in the large majority of cases it did.


	8. Stone Ch 8: Christmas

Harry was thankful for the holidays. He had been studying non-stop to stay ahead in his classes, and he needed the break to rest his mind for awhile. Christmas was never Harry's favorite holiday, since the Dursleys usually gave him nothing more than an old pair of socks or a roll of wrapping paper. Ron's parents and sister were visiting his brother Charlie in Romania for the holidays; but could not afford to bring their other children, so Harry had the Weasley brothers for company during the holidays.

Hogwarts was very festively decorated; Harry's favorite decoration was a number of small Christmas trees in the Gryffindor common room, one for each of the few kids who stayed over the break. Just having a friend to talk to on Christmas morning would made this the best Christmas ever for Harry, but it got even better as the day got closer and the bottom of his tree began filling up with presents! Harry wanted to open Hermione's after she left to visit her parents (Harry and Ron had become somewhat friendly with Hermione, mainly because she was very good to study with) but Ron told him that the gifts were magically sealed, and opening them before he was supposed to would be very bad indeed.

So on Christmas morning, Harry woke up Ron as soon as the sun rose, then dashed to the common room to open his presents. His first present was a very nice home-made wooden flute from Hagrid. He resolved to learn at least enough to play a tune for Hagrid to show his appreciation. Hermione, had given Harry a box of Chocolate Frogs and Ron's mom made Harry a homemade jumper which Harry loved, although it seemed to make Ron a bit embarrassed. Even the Dursleys sent Harry a fifty pence piece, probably because they were so happy he stayed at Hogwarts. Ron was so fascinated by it that Harry gave it to him, and Ron promised to show it to his father who liked anything made by Muggles.

The last present bothered Harry a bit. It was a letter from Headmaster Dumbledore himself. The letter asked Harry to visit his office at his earliest convenience, along with directions to get there and a password to get in. Ron thought the worst, of course, and even though Harry knew the headmaster wouldn't call him in on Christmas morning to yell at him, he was still a bit nervous. Harry stayed while Ron finished opening his presents, then left to go see Dumbledore.


	9. Stone Ch 9: The Headmaster's Office

_**Why did D give Harry the cloak in secret, only to reveal it to him later?**_

_**What about the rest of Harry's parents' possessions?**_

_**I also found it odd that Dumbledore waited so long to explain to Harry why he spent so many miserable years with the Dursleys. Wouldn't he want to tell Harry ASAP, to apologize?**_

_**I debated having Dumbledore tell Harry about Voldemort so soon, but I figured Dumbledore would have done research on V's return YEARS ago and attempted to close all avenues then _**(rather than a month before Harry came to school) **_. It is only fair that Harry knows his blood is one such method of return. My assumption is that DD put the Stone in the school not long after V's "death".**_

* * *

><p>After speaking the password to the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office, and riding the moving spiral staircase up to the door of Dumbledore's office, Harry knocked and was promptly admitted to the Headmaster's office.<p>

"Harry Potter! We finally meet again. Please, sit! Lemon drop?

Dumbledore offered Harry a candy from a small tin. Harry politely turned him down; the last thing we wanted was to talk with the Headmaster with a mouth full of candy.

"Well Harry, let's not waste any more time on small talk. As you know, your parents left you a sizable amount of money when they tragically passed away. He left your Godfather, Sirius Black, as executor of his will. Since Siruis is in Azkaban, that duty was passed to me instead. If it were up to me, I would give you full control of your finances, as I know most children are much more mature than most adults give you credit for. However, until you reach the age of majority, the law says that I must approve all transactions from your vault Gringotts, and as you know I have delegated this responsibility to the head of your House. I also asked her to give you the benefit of the doubt regarding your financial decisions, so please be responsible and do not let me down.

"However, your parents did not just leave you money; they left you everything they owned. You now own their cottage in Godric's Hollow, although it is mostly in ruin. After leaving you with your aunt and uncle, I went to the cottage to secure anything which you may one day feel to be of value. I have here a box containing everything I found".

Dumbledore handed Harry a large wooden box. Harry opened it, and was delighted by what he saw. Dumbledore must have known what Harry would cherish most, because the inside of the box was full of pictures that Harry's parents had owned. Harry quickly discovered which two must be his parents, since he had never seen then before in his life. His eyes quickly teared up as he viewed photo after photo of his long-lost family.

"Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore. This is the best present I have ever received, and could have ever hoped for."

"I thought you would like it, Harry. However, the pictures are not all that is in this box. I think perhaps you should look at what lies on the bottom."

Harry dug through the pictures, and saw a strange shiny, silvery cloth. It felt odd when he touched it, as if it were somehow liquid.

"Harry, this is an invisibility cloak. It belonged to your father, and I rescued it from his cottage after his murder. However, it is no ordinary invisibility cloak. Most invisibility cloaks are made from Demiguise pelts which will eventually turn opaque after a time, or a disillusionment charm which will eventually wear off. This one was in your fathers possession for as long as I knew him, and it was his fathers' before that, and never has the enchantment worn or faded. It is very special, and it has been in your family for generations, so I hope you will protect it to the best of your abilities. I also ask that you do not let the Weasley twins anywhere near it; Merlin knows what would happen to our school if they had an invisibility cloak"

Harry agreed to both of these requests. This was not even the best Christmas of Harry's life, it was beyond what he had even imagined the best Christmas could possibly be.

"Now I must be more serious, Harry. Do you know why I left you in the care of your aunt and uncle as a child? Dumbledore then went on to tell Harry the story of his mothers sacrifice, and how allowing Harry to live with his mother's sister protected him from Voldemort to this day. Dumbledore explained that he was very upset at the treatment Harry had received from his guardians, and that he had tried to contact Harry twice before his acceptance letter to Hogwarts, but was turned away both times.

"I left you with them because I felt the protection was necessary, Harry. I felt this way, and still do so today, because I do not believe Voldemort was killed that night. There have been many dark witches and wizards throughout the ages who have preserved their body after death, and I believe Voldemort would have taken the steps to do so as well. If this is true, then Voldemort would have been left as nothing but a spirit, weak and unable to perform magic, but looking to once again return to physical form.

"This is where you come in, Harry. I would not wish to voice these concerns to a young boy unless I felt it was absolutely necessary. Over the past decade I have researched the dark arts, and have come up with many possibilities for how Voldemort would try to come back to power. One such method would be to drink the elixir of life from the Philosopher's Stone. I have taken possession of the stone and hidden it at Hogwarts where Voldemort and his followers cannot possibly steal it. Soon after Voldemort's defeat, I gained possession of the stone and put it in Hogwarts, where it is protected by numerous magical enchantments, and the corridor constantly monitored by a member of the staff to ensure it is not entered. That is why that corridor is always off-limits.

"There are also other, more sinister methods by which Voldemort can come to power. Some of these involve a blood sacrifice from his greatest enemy, which would be either you or myself. For ten years you have remained hidden in the Muggle world, but now you have resurfaced."

Harry's terror must have shown on his face. "Now, don't be alarmed, Harry. As long as you are under my care at Hogwarts, and under the protection from your blood relative, you will be safe from harm. I am not telling you these things so you will worry, but just so you will be vigilant. If you see anything which seems out of the ordinary, or causes you concern, I want you to voice those concerns to a member of the staff immediately.

But enough bad news. This is Christmas, and I want you to put these concerns out of your mind and go have fun. But please, Harry, do not speak of this conversation to anyone who you do not trust completely with secrecy. The last thing we need are rumors flooding the school surrounding Voldemort and invisibility cloaks."

* * *

><p>How Harry could possibly have fun when he was told that Voldemort was seeking his blood to return to power was unfathomable. He knew Ron could be trusted with secrecy, so he ran and told him the entire story, and suggested they quit Hogwarts and run away, possibly to Australia, where Voldemort would never find them.<p>

"That's crazy, Harry. Everyone knows Dumbledore was the only person who You-Know-Who was afraid of. If he told you that you were safe, then you are fine." This reassured Harry. Ron was the most paranoid person he knew. If Ron thought they were safe, Harry truly had nothing to fear.


	10. Stone Ch 10: The Knut

_**I like Hermione's priorities. Breaking the rules is apparently worse than death.**_

_**I tried hard to find a good, logical method for the 3 amigos to end up in the Forbidden Corridor. Finding logical backstories has been easy so far, but this one seemed very difficult. Writing this story has given me respect for how JRK managed to make a dozen coincidences add up to make a seemingly completely reasonable explanation for why the heroes end up in the middle of the action book after book. Still, I think i did a decent job. There are a few questionable actions, but I think it is fairly believable. **_

_**I made up that spell, BTW.**_

* * *

><p>As soon as Hermione returned, Harry swore her, too, to secrecy and told her of his visit to Dumbledore. Hermione agreed with Ron that Harry was safe and that nothing should be done. However, Harry's curiosity was too great, and he insisted that they visit the third floor corridor to investigate. Ron agreed to come with Harry, and Hermione said she would come as well as long as they did not go anywhere off-limits. So once nightfall came, Harry brought out his cloak, and all three hid underneath it. They traveled to the third floor, and saw nothing except a door leading to the forbidden corridor, with "OFF-LIMITS" written in fairly ominous writing above it. Harry wanted to open the door just to get a peek, but Hermione refused to let him.<p>

"First of all, it is against the rules. Second, I do not want to die a gruesome death. Third, it almost certainly has _Certorem_ cast on it, and we will have a professor show up seconds later ready to expel us." Hermione responded to the look of incomprehension she was getting from Harry and Ron: "Haven't you read you Charms book yet? _Certorem_ is the alarm spell, and disturbing anything on which it is cast, like a door, immediately alerts the caster. It's a specialized and simplified version of the _Protean_ charm, which even I can't catch for a few more years."

"Well, can't we cast it as well, so we can know if anyone goes in there?"

"Why would we want to know that? We are first-year students. What could we possibly do if Voldemort goes looking for the Philosopher's stone?"

"We won't do anything, Hermione. I promise. We will make sure Dumbledore is informed, and then Ron and I will flee to Australia or something. Seriously; Voldemort died, or whatever, just because he attacked me. Don't you think I should be informed if he tries to come back? I'm not stupid enough to go fight him or anything, I just want the biggest head start I can get."

Once Hermione realized that Harry would pester her for the rest of the term unless she complied, she took out a Knut and cast the spell. The spell was not supposed to be taught in Charms class until the second year, but as soon as Hermione entered Hogwarts and got away from the Trace, she studied ahead in magic as much as she did her other subjects before. She was almost to third-year in Charms. It was just like Hermione to be astounded that her classmates were not already a year ahead in classwork like she was.

"Look here. If anyone opens this door, my Knut will tell me who it was and when they did it. No, you can't have it. I will keep it, and if it alerts me and I think you should know, I will tell you."

"Fair enough" said Harry. He knew this was the best they would get out of Hermione, and it was better than nothing.


	11. Stone Ch 11: The Forbidden Corridor

_**When the first war ended, everyone knew who the death eaters were. The ones who had not been Imperiused, and did not rat out other Death Eaters were given trials and sent to Azkaban. So how did no one know Snape was a DE?**_

* * *

><p>At first, Harry had asked Hermione about the Knut ten times a day. Once he realized nothing had happened, and nothing probably would happen, he practically forgot about it completely. It may be years before Voldemort could find a way into Hogwarts. Dumbledore was right, Harry shouldn't worry about it at all. Harry aced his History of Magic and Defense against the Dark Arts finals. He was pretty sure he did well in most of his other finals, but he bombed the Potions final. He wasn't too worried, though: Since most Gryffindors tended to fail Potions class, Snape was forced to grade on a curve, so Harry thought he had a good chance of passing. After exams, the students had a full week to relax before getting their final grades and returning home.<p>

On Wednesday night, just before Harry and Ron went to bed, Hermione ran up to beckoned them to a sofa in the common room far away from prying ears.

"My alarm went off. About thirty minutes ago, Professor Quirrell opened the door."

Harry could hardly believe that the timid Professor Quirrell was in league with Voldemort, and said so.

"Maybe not", said Hermione. "But five minutes later, Professor Snape went through as well. _Then_I went to go talk to Dumbledore about it, and asked Professor McGonagall how I could find him to ask about grades or something, and she said Professor Dumbledore just happened to be called to London on urgent business. Something is going on, Harry!"

Harry's blood ran cold. Everyone had that one teacher that you knew was evil, but you didn't think they were _that_ evil. Sure, Snape had treated every Gryffindor with disdain, and did not give even Hermione an A on any tests. But could he really be in league with Voldemort?

"Look, I know it doesn't make much sense. But is it just a coincidence that Dumbledore was called away to London right before Quirrell and Snape entered the forbidden corridor? It may seem unlikely that Quirrell would be evil, but if anyone here would support Voldemort, it would be Professor Snape. He even used to support Voldemort before Dumbledore supposedly turned him and made him a spy."

"Well, why didn't you tell Professor McGonagall?"

"Why didn't I tell her that two professors are secretly servants of Voldemort, who is supposed to be dead, and that I know this by performing a spell which I shouldn't be performing yet, and I was able to perform it by using an invisibility cloak which we shouldn't have and being in the corridors when we should be asleep? Is that what you are asking me?"

"So should Ron and I pack our bags for Australia now?"

"No, silly. It is possible, after all, that they went in there under Headmaster Dumbledore's orders. We should go find out!"

Harry and Ron looked at her with amazement.

"I think the lack of tests to study for has made her go crazy", Ron told Harry.

"I'm serious", said Hermione. "We won't do anything terrible. We'll just open the door, and see what is going on. If all looks good, we'll pretend nothing happened. If not, we'll leave and tell Professor McGonagall."

Harry and Ron could see the logic to that. Harry got his cloak, and the three walked as quickly as they could without looking suspicious to the third floor. They ducked into a narrow corridor, put on the cloak, and scurried to the locked door.

"_Alohamora!"_

The door sprang open. It was pitch black inside the door, as if a black veil was covering the opening. Hermione inched forward, and the other two followed. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the veil was lifted and they realized why the corridor was forbidden. They turned to run, but the door slammed shut behind them.

* * *

><p>The corridor was not very long by Hogwarts standards, probably 100 metres long, and perhaps a third as than the door they came through, the only other door was at the other end of the corridor. None of this was noticed by the three, though, as the enormous, 15 metre tall three-headed vicious, snarling dog took up all their attention. It was held by a long chain attached to the back wall, which is possibly the only reason they were not dead yet. It was clearly guarding the back door. Harry started yelling spells to try and open the door, while Ron just kicked it. Hermione, however, started singing. Hermione may be excellent at magic, but apparently she was terrible at singing. Ron and Harry stopped to stare at her, when she started to 'sing', in the same awful tone she was in before,<p>

"It's a hellhound, they are charmed by music, look at it please..."

Harry looked at the dog. It already seemed to be a bit droopy. Not long after, it fell fast asleep. Harry tried the door again, but it was still locked.

"It looks like we have to go forward, then", he said. Hermione, still singing, nodded, and they all tiptoed past the sleeping creature.


	12. Stone Ch 12: The Man with Two Faces

_**It did not make sense to me that a trap-door on the third floor led to the basement, and I didn't want to have to rely on questionable Hogwarts geography to make it work. So I have the entire 3rd floor right-hand corridor sealed off and split up, with each room containing a puzzle. Also, did anyone notice how convenient it was that all the puzzles could be solved by a 1st year wizard? I mean, mine are solved by first-years as well, but at least they have to **_**try.**

**_It bothered me that there was no puzzle for knowing about potions, just knowing logic._**

_**Also a slight discrepancy The curse against the DADA teacher meant no teacher lasted longer than a year, yet it was mentioned that Quirrell had taught for awhile before travelling to find Voldemort. I attempted to mend the timeline to correct this.**_

_**It was also hard to find a way for Harry to defeat V/Q. Having him black out was unacceptable, since that is the kind of thing I am trying to correct with this story. When I first started writing this, I was mad at JKR for copping out with stuff like that. But, again, I am learning why she wrote the way she did. This way is HARD!**_

* * *

><p>Every professor at Hogwarts had put an obstacle en route to the Stone. Some were easy. Hermione remembered how to kill Professor Sprout's Devil's snare, Harry caught the key that Professor Flitwick had charmed to fly around and hide, Ron won the game of Wizard Chess that McGonagall had thought up, and Harry and Hermione both helped to identify the ten stars off of the star chart. Unfortunately, not all the puzzles were designed to be solved by first-year students. Although Hermione had never taken Arithmancy, she knew enough about numbers to give the puzzle a go and gave a very educated guess which was correct. Charlie Weasley had studied Runes, and Ron remembered enough to get them through that room. Harry and Hermione both knew who the first President of the United States was, and were amazed that Ron did not. Quirrell's troll had already been knocked unconscious, which made all three happy as they didn't think they could have defeated it.<p>

One room asked which of the three Alchemical goals had not been discovered: turning items into gold, finding immortality, or finding the universal solvent. Ron also, with his magical background, knew that Alchemists had discovered how to turn items into gold (fairly obvious since they _were_ searching for the Philosopher's Stone) and knew they had found the universal solvent. Harry and Hermione argued he was wrong because the Philosopher's Stone provided immortality, but Ron insisted he was correct and it turned out he was.

The last challenge was a room full of potions. Hermione knew that the Ice Potion that allowed them to pass through the flames was golden colored and filled with tiny bubbles. However, there was only enough for one person to drink. They assumed that it magically refilled itself after Quirrell and Snape had each completed the challenge, so one person had to go forward while the others waited for the bottle to be full again. After some arguing, Harry convinced them that he should go ahead. He had already faced Voldemort, after all. He also gave them the cloak, as he did not know if the magical fire would destroy it. He drank the potion, and stepped into the next room.

* * *

><p>There, Harry saw Snape and Quirrell, as he had expected. He did not expect that Snape would be unconscious on the floor.<p>

"Merlin's beard!" exclaimed Quirrell. "Is everyone at Hogwarts going to follow me down here?"

"Follow you? Snape? I thought he was in league with you!"

"No, Mr. Potter. Professor Snape is nothing more than a pawn of Dumbledore's. We dispatched him easily." Quirrell waved a hand, and ropes appeared from nowhere and bound Harry tightly.

"We?" Harry struggled, but there was no way he would free himself from the ropes.

"My master and I, of course".

"He's here right now?" Harry freaked out. He looked everywhere in the room. He saw Quirrell, Snape unconscious, and a large mirror. No Dark Lords.

"He is always with me. I met him while travelling around the world. He has shown me the way the world truly works. Everyone knows Albus has the stone, and it was a simple matter for me to get hired on as the Defense teacher to get at it. Once we realized _you_ would be here, Mr. Potter, it was an opportunity beyond our wildest dreams. Imagine, the Dark Lord at full power inside Hogwarts, with Harry Potter at his mercy! Now I have to figure out Albus' puzzle and get the stone—"

"_Use the boy_"

This voice seemed to come from Quirrell, yet it was not his voice, and his lips did not move.

"Yes, of course!" This actually did come from Quirrell. He removed the ropes from Harry with a wave of his hand. "Come over here, Mr. Potter."

Harry obliged. Maybe he could figure out the puzzle and get the stone himself. Quirrell made him stand in front of the mirror. Harry looked in it, and spun around in amazement.

"What is it, boy?"

"I see an entire room of people."

"No, concentrate on the stone. Ask it where the stone is"

Harry looked at the mirror again. Indeed, it looked as if the entire room behind him was filled with people. When he looked closer, he recognized some of them from the photos Dumbledore had given him. This was Harry's family! He could not understand how the mirror worked, but he liked it. If his life were not in danger, he would stand here all day and watch his family. But his life was in danger, so—

"Where is the Stone?"

His father, who was standing next to him in the image, held up a blood-red stone in his hand. His father winked, then placed the stone in Harry's pocket. Harry felt the weight. The stone was actually there! Who knows what magic Dumbledore used to accomplish this, but somehow the mirror had given him the stone.

"Uh, I see myself using the stone to make piles of gold", said Harry.

"_He lies!_" said the strange not-Quirrell voice. "_Let me speak to him_!"

"But master—"

"_Silence! Obey my commands_!"

Quirrell started to unwrap the turban from his head. He turned his back to Harry. Harry saw the most vile thing he could ever even imagine. There was a face with red eyes and a nose that was more like a snake than like a human. The creature was talking to him, taunting him. It spoke of the Stone, of Harry's parents, and of Dumbledore, but Harry was too terrified to answer or even to think clearly. He saw, as if in blazing red letters in the sky, his brain telling him "_RUN_!"

* * *

><p>Harry ran. The voice yelled, and Quirrell followed. Harry felt Quirrell grab his wrist, and to Harry's surprise, both he and Quirrell screamed in terror. Harry's scar ached when Quirrell had touched him, but Quirrell's hands were full of blisters and bleeding. He raised his hand to curse Harry, and Harry realized his only chance was to use this odd power he had over Quirrell. So Harry braced for the pain, and stuck his hand in Quirrell's face, blinding him with the white pustules that broke out wherever their skin met. His other hand grabbed Quirrell's throat, which choked him and left him speechless. Harry's vision went white with pain.<p>

Unable to see or speak, Quirrell was unable to effectively attack Harry. He was gargling incoherently and blindly casting spells of green light in random directions, hoping to hit Harry. Once Harry shook off the searing pain, he looked for cover in the room. All he could see was the mirror, so he ran to put it between Quirrell and himself. As he did, however, he ran behind Quirrell and the face saw him.

"_He is behind the mirror! Turn around, kill him_!"

Harry, looking from behind the mirror, saw Quirrell turn. He walked toward the mirror. His face was a disfigured mass of pus and blood, but Harry swore he saw a smile. In another few steps, Quirrell would be at the mirror and fire the green curse at Harry. He needed to run, or—

Harry had been bullied all his life. Dudley and his gang took pleasure in making his life miserable, and his aunt and uncle encouraged it by never punishing Dudley when Harry told them of his actions. So Harry was forced to fight back instead. Of course, a small skinny boy fighting a group of Rugby forwards didn't stand much of a chance, but Harry had still learned to make the best of a bad situation.

Harry braced himself between the mirror and the wall. He pushed out as hard as he could and rocked the mirror one, two, three times. On the third try, the mirror finally was pushed far enough so that it did not rock back. It fell forward in agonizing slow-motion just as Quirrell reached it. Harry heard Quirrell's cries as the mirror crashed down on him. And then there was silence.


	13. Stone Ch 13: Aftermath

**_Quirrell may not have been casting the Killing Curse, but even so, Bellatrix cast it nonverbally in HBP to kill a fox, there is precedent that it can be used without speech._**

**_Also, why didn't the Weasley twins EVER explore the 3rd floor corridor? I thought of the Trio asking them before, but I couldn't make it work. I can always use the excuse that they wanted to keep their mission a secret._**

**_Also also, if Harry is invincible to Voldemort, why doesn't Dumbledore send him to fight in the front lines? An invincible kid is better than an adult any day._**

**_Also Also Also, why does DD force HP to live with the Dursleys for the entire Summer, yet in later years he only has to spend a short time there?_**

* * *

><p>Harry awoke in the hospital wing with Dumbledore by his bed. After knocking Quirrell unconscious, he had run back through the puzzle rooms as fast as he could. Halfway through he slammed into Dumbledore and McGonagall who were told of the situation by Ron and Hermione. He threw himself into Dumbledore's arms and started crying. He told Dumbledore the story on the way to Madam Pomfrey to make sure Harry was not hurt. The second Harry hit the hospital bed he fell fast asleep, and slept until halfway through the next day.<p>

"Sir! What happened? I have the Stone!" Harry started patting his pockets to find it.

"I found the Stone in your pocket, Harry. I put it in the mirror, after all, so I knew you would have it. I charmed the mirror to give the stone only to someone who wanted to have it, but never to use it. Pretty good idea, if I say so myself."

"But the mirror, I saw my family in there."

"That is the Mirror of Erised, Harry. It shows you your heart's deepest desires. Many a man has starved himself to death by sitting in front of the mirror, so amazed by what they saw that they could not turn away."

Harry could understand this. He would have sat with his family until the end of time if he could.

"What do you see in the mirror, sir? Is the mirror broken?"

"I see the same as you see, Harry. I see myself surrounded by my family. You and I are a lot alike, Harry. And no, it would take much more than a topple to destroy the Mirror of Erised."

"What happened with Quirrell? And Voldemort?"

"Quirinius Quirrell is on his way to Azkaban. He may be there already, as a matter of fact. His trial will be open-and-shut, of course. I do believe he will be there for the rest of his life. As for Voldemort, he is gone once again, probably looking for another body to share. The entire school knows about your adventure in the forbidden corridor, Harry. They saw Quirinius being escorted from Hogwarts by Aurors, so they know he was involved. But you, Professor McGonagall and I are the only people who know what happened in that chamber. You may tell people what you like, but I must ask you not to mention Voldemort being involved. As we discussed before, I do not wish to have a riot when people learn Voldemort is still alive. I do not, however, expect you to keep this secret from your closest friends, as long as they too can be trusted with secrecy."

Harry agreed.

"Why couldn't Quirrell touch me, sir?"

"It is because of the sacrifice your mother made for you. It saved you from death once, and now under your blood relatives protection it will continue to guard you against Voldemort or his followers. I do not believe, however, that you would survive another killing curse, so I do not want you off trying to find Voldemort as if you were invincible.

"Harry, about this summer: I imagine you do not wish to spend it with the Dursleys, and as much as it pains me to say this, I am sure they do not wish to spend it with you either. When you leave Hogwarts, you must go to stay with them for a few weeks, at least, so you will still consider their house a home and still be under its protection. After that, if you wish, I may be able to arrange it so you can stay with the Weasleys for the rest of the summer."

Harry was overjoyed. A summer away from the Dursleys! He talked with Dumbledore a while longer, then he left.

* * *

><p>Ron, Hermione and Hagrid also came to visit him in the hospital. As he considered them all his close friends, they all heard the story, and Ron said his parents would be thrilled to have Harry stay for the summer. The trio's adventure had earned enough points for Gryffindor to win the House Cup, of course; Harry expected nothing less after fighting Voldemort himself. At the end-of-year feast, Harry and his friends were approached by the Weasley twins.<p>

"Harry! We could have told you to stay out of the forbidden corridor! You go in, widdle yourself and say your prayers when you see that dog because you _know_ you're going to die, then 2 minutes later Snape shows up and gives you a month's detention. You only go in a door like that once!"

"Now they tell us!"

Soon the exam grades came. Harry and Ron both made better than average marks, due to studying with Hermione all year. She, of course, was top of the class in everything, except Herbology. Neville's Gran, who taught him Herbology, must have really been a star in the greenhouse, for he had made top of the class in that subject. It made up for the rest of the classes in which he barely scraped by.

When they arrived back at Platform 9 ¾, the old guard let them through the archway in small groups as not to cause a scene. Harry met Ron's parents. Dumbledore had already asked them if Harry could spend most of the summer at their house, and they obliged. Harry told them exactly how much better that would make his life.

Then, Harry turned and saw the Dursleys. It would be a long three weeks, but he had no choice but to go with them. At least they didn't know he wasn't allowed to perform magic...


	14. Chamber Ch 1: The Escape

_**It Bothered me that no witches or wizards knew anything about Muggle technology. I figured that, since Mr Weasley works with them, he should know more than most.**_

_**And yes, I re-formulated the entire Dobby story line. He is still in the picture, but him warning Harry made no sense. Why didn't he warn Ginny instead?**_

* * *

><p>It was going to be a long three weeks. That's how long Harry had to wait before spending the rest of the summer with his best friend from Hogwarts. The magic Dumbledore cast on his aunt's house was a very powerful protection for Harry, but it required him to always consider the house a home or else it would fade. Harry told Dumbledore that he never considered 4 Privet Drive a home, and Dumbledore assured him that as long as he returned to live there at least once every twelve months, the protection would continue. So Harry agreed to live in the house for three agonizing weeks before he could visit his friend and spend the rest of the summer there.<p>

Threatening Dudley with magic made the time flow by, at first. But even it seemed to get dull, especially since he was punished with a full day of chores every time. He couldn't even read his books since Uncle Vernon locked them in the closet the day he arrived back from Hogwarts. Even Hedwig was locked in her cage. The only respite Harry had was when the Weasleys' ancient owl Errol would bring him a letter, which with Errol's speed only happened about every four days.

It was only three days before Harry would leave when disaster stuck. Dudley was bothering Harry more than usual, and Harry had enough. Harry muttered some nonsense words and Dudley, thinking it was magic, turned to run. He tripped, fell and broke his nose. Harry's uncle decided that Harry did this himself with magic, and grounded him for the rest of the summer in his room. No playing outside, no television, but worst of all, no visiting Ron. He was planning on locking Harry in his room when Harry reminded him that, while they lived in different worlds, Harry could still alert the Muggle authorities to child abuse.

So twenty-one days after Harry's return to Little Whinging he heard a knock at the door. When Uncle Vernon opened it, Harry heard the sound of Ron's dad at the door. Grounding be darned, Harry was going to speak to Mr. Weasley. He opened his door and bounded down the stairs.

"Mr. Weasley! They've grounded me in my room for the whole summer! Let me come with you, please!"

"Go back to your room!" yelled Uncle Vernon. He turned back to Mr. Weasley. "The boy is under my roof. And when he is under my roof, he lives by my rules, and I say he is grounded. If you lay one hand on him, I'll have you arrested for kidnapping. I'd like to see your magic stop the police!"

Harry was pretty sure Mr. Weasley's magic _could_ stop the police, and was about to say so, when Mr. Weasly turned to Harry and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Harry. There's nothing I can do. He is your guardian, after all."

He turned back to Uncle Vernon.

"And Mr. Dursley, I apologize for the inconvenience. I do hope you change your mind. If you do, here's my number."

Mr. Weasley handed him a card. Uncle Vernon slammed the door in his face. Harry knew most wizards were ignorant of Muggle technology, and he was amazed that Mr. Weasley had a telephone. Ron had told him that his father worked with Muggle items that were illegally enchanted by wizards, so perhaps this gave Mr. Weasley more insight into the Muggle world than most wizards. When the door closed, Harry's heart sunk. For the next two months, he would be stuck with the Dursley's.

* * *

><p>That night, however, his future changed. He was awakened by a loud knocking on his window. Harry, half asleep, assumed it was Ron's owl and opened the window to get the letter.<p>

Instead of Errol, Harry saw—a car. A car with Ron and his twin brothers inside. This would not be too strange, except that Harry's room was on the second story.

How did you—? How can it—? Won't you get in trouble? You're not supposed to do magic."

"I got a secondhand wand from my uncle, so I never even went to Ollivander's to get it. Fred and George have it, but the Ministry ignores it; otherwise, we'd get an owl every time mom Scourgified the kitchen.

"Besides, we didn't enchant this, dad did. Let's go!"

Well, that was fair. They could do underage magic and Harry couldn't.

"My trunk is in the downstairs closet. And how will we get the bars off the window?"

Uncle Vernon said the bars were to keep burglars out, but considering they were on the second floor, and only in this room, Harry was pretty sure they were to keep him in. Ron tied a rope from the hitch of the car to the bars, Fred gassed the engine, and with a loud "crunch" the bars fell off. Harry and the brothers fell silent. A couple of minutes later, they heard Vernon snoring again, which meant it was safe to continue. George picked the lock on the closet and retrieved Harry's trunk, Harry jumped in the car holding Hedwig's locked cage, and they were ready to fly off.

"Hold the show, hold the show" said George. "A little present for your uncle." He pulled something from his pocket, spit on it, then threw it in Harry's room. "Wet start fireworks. They're your good-bye note. Hit it!"

Fred sped off as the fireworks exploded in Harry's room. As the house grew distant, he saw Vernon and Petunia yelling at him out his bedroom window. Harry laughed, then suddenly the car and all passengers were invisible as they flew toward Ron's house.


	15. Chamber Ch 2: The Burrow

_**Molly Weasley is one of my favorite characters. However, I am trying to make her less of a one-dimensional housewife. I have given her an occupation in her free time when Hogwarts is in session, and I have an interesting back story planned for a later book.**_

* * *

><p>Why could Harry have not been raised here? This was the perfect home and the perfect family. At first, he didn't feel that way, as Ms. Weasley scared the wits out of him. The boys apparently did not have permission to take the car, and Ms. Weasley discovered them missing during the night. When they finally got home, she was furious. She yelled at and berated her three sons until Harry thought she was about to flip out and transfigure them all into mice. Not that they didn't deserve it, though; Harry knew if he had a real family, he would never do anything to make his parents worry about him.<p>

Then Ms. Weasley turned to Harry, and it was if she was an entirely different person.

"Hello, Harry. It's nice to see you again. Would you like some breakfast?"

Harry didn't know what to do. Would Ms. Weasley start yelling at him next? Ron prodded him in the back with his wand, so Harry ran to catch up with her.

So this was a wizarding house! Even the outside of the house was amazing; it had obviously started as a small cottage, with rooms added on as the family grew. The Weasleys were obviously much better at magic than carpentering, as the house was held up much more by the former than the latter. Inside was a clock with eight hands on it, one for each child and Mr. Weasley, and instead of numbers it had lists of places where they could be. Harry later found out she had purchased it during the wizarding war when she was constantly in fear for her childrens' lives. Mr. Weasley was "at work", Charlie and Bill were in "Romania" and 'Egypt", respectively (apparently those locations were added later, or Ms. Weasley was a Seer), and everyone else's hand was on "The Burrow". There was a bookshelf in the kitchen with what looked like cookbooks for magical cooking, and a perch on which sat the family owl, Errol. Harry had to poke it to make sure it was still alive.

At first, Ron seemed embarrassed about his house. It was rather messy, after all, which is understandable with five children in the house. They were also not very rich, so everything in the house was very well-used. But once he realized that Harry, rather than being bored with the house as most visitors were, was instead fascinated by the most commonplace things like gnomes in the garden; Ron gave him the grand tour. He would not have very many opportunities to impress people with the fact that a ghoul lived in the attic.

* * *

><p>Harry used his two months at the Burrow to learn all he could about the Weasley family. Ms Weasley was, as Harry had deduced the minute he arrived, a very loving and protective mother. Immediately after Harry's arrival, she began to treat him as a member of the family. She was appalled at how Harry was treated by his guardians, and therefore gave him the kindness (and extra helpings) that he had lacked for so long. When her children were home, she was devoted to their care full-time to ensure they were never without clean clothes or a full stomach. When Hogwarts was in session, most of her time was spent caring for her house and her husband. When she had spare time, she developed recipes which used magic to make family-sized meals in a fraction of the time it normally took. She put these recipes in books, and had one published every year or so.<p>

Mr. Weasley was in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office at the Ministry. Witches and wizards were allowed to enchant items for their own use, but if those items fell into the hand of Muggles, they could be persecuted. Mr. Weasley tracked down these items, cast Memory charms on the recipients, and aided in the investigation to determine what witch or wizard was responsible. This probably fueled Mr. Weasley's fascination with Muggle technology. Although he was much more familiar with it than most wizards (he took apart and repaired his Ford Anglia before enchanting it), he was still confused by more complicated concepts like electricity and flight.

Ginny Weasley was the youngest, and the only daughter. This year would be her first at Hogwarts. Ron told Harry that he was usually very sociable, but Harry did not see this. Apparently, she viewed Harry as a sort of celebrity, and was therefore very shy around him.

After Ron, the twins were the next youngest siblings. They were in their fourth year at Hogwarts. Their birthday was April 1st, and as much as Harry knew that could not possibly affected their personality, it still seemed too much of a coincidence that these two were born on that day. They behaved much as they did at Hogwarts; small explosions coming from their room were commonplace and ignored.

Percy was the oldest still at home. He was entering his sixth year at Hogwarts. He became a prefect last year, and was a shoo-in for Head Boy. Harry did not like him very much, as he seemed to be very stuck-up and self-important.

Charlie and Bill had since moved out, so Harry only had second-hand reports of their personalities. It seemed Bill was a hipster, and after graduating left to be a type of treasure-hunter in Egypt. Bill, like Ron and the twins, seemed to take his father's lax view of authority. Charlie, on the other hand, seemed to be more like Percy and Ms. Weasley. He had been a prefect and a Seeker for his House team, and is now studying dragons in Romania.

Yes, it was a great summer. That is, until the house-elf showed up.


	16. Chamber Ch 3: Dobby's Warning

Harry was helping Ron clean out the broom shed one day (Ms. Weasley never expected Harry to do chores, but Harry always insisted) when they heard a loud _CRACK_. There was a fairly ugly creature, wearing what looked like a pillowcase, staring at Harry and Ron.

"Harry Potter. Ronald Weasly." The creature bowed to each of them in turn.

"What's you name? Who is your master?" Ron, unlike Harry, had some clue what this creature was.

"Dobby cannot say, sir. Dobby will have to punish himself for even coming, sir. Dobby has come to warn Ronald Weasley not to go to Hogwarts this year." The creature thought about this, then started banging its head against the wall.

"Calm down!" Harry grabbed the creature to keep it from hurting itself. He pulled out three chairs. "Here, sit".

This was too much for the creature. It began wailing in gratitude. Apparently, whoever its "master" was, he treated it more like an animal than something that can communicate and, apparently, have emotions. Since Harry was treating it as an equal, it could not control itself because it was so grateful.

As Harry learned, it was a house-elf, and it was actually a he. House-elves were born into servitude to a wizarding family, and died in servitude for that family unless they were set free, which was practically unheard of.

The elf had come to warn Ron Weasley that very bad things would happen if he went back to Hogwarts. The elf, however, was unable to tell him what exactly would happen, so the warning was fairly useless. Ron, of course, refused, and stated his intent to return to Hogwarts until he graduated.

"Then I am sorry, Ronald Weasley. I must do everything in my power to keep you from returning to Hogwarts". He then turned to Harry. "And you, Harry Potter, not only did you defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but you are kind and humble as well. Dobby is happy to have met you. He only wishes it would have been under better circumstances."

The house-elf left as suddenly as he had appeared. They decided to keep the matter a secret, but did tell the twins to get their take on the matter. The twins assumed it was some sort of joke or prank being played on them by a rich witch or wizard, because only they had house-elves. The only rich wizard they knew who would play a sick joke on them was Malfoy, but that would be an odd way for him to have them not come to Hogwarts. He would be much more likely to have his father threaten Ron's father, or something else sneaky like that. Harry and Ron put the affair in the back of their minds, but agreed to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

* * *

><p>Then a few weeks later, something suspicious did, indeed, happen. They went to Diagon Alley to purchase school supplies, and met up with Hermione there. They found out who there Defense teacher was this year: a pretty-boy wizard named Gilderoy Lockhart who made Percy seem like a meek, humble person. Harry figured anyone with that much self-importance would be very difficult as a teacher, so he was feeling pretty glum about that year's classes when, outside the store, the Weasleys and he ran into Draco and Lucius Malfoy.<p>

Draco made the typical Ron-is-poor and Harry-is-big headed remarks, and Harry and Ron retorted with the typical you're-a-stuck-up-prat quips, and it seemed like the everyday schoolyard standoff until Lucius stepped in. He picked up a very used copy of _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ from Ginny's cauldron full of supplies.

"Pity. Is this the best your parents can afford? I guess no raise from the Ministry this year for you, Arthur. Why be a disgrace to Wizardry if you won't at least get paid handsomly for it?"

The next thing Harry knew, Lucius Malfoy's nose was bleeding. Mr. Weasley punched him! They scuffled in typical Muggle fashion for a few minutes, never even thinking to use their wands, until Hagrid, who happened to be shopping at the time, broke it up by grabbing each man's collar and physically separating them. Harry was glad to see that Mr. Weasley emerged with only a cut lip while Lucius had a bloody nose and maybe a black eye.

"Here, girl. Take your book. It's not your fault your father can do no better." Lucius dropped the book back into her cauldron and stormed off.

"Can't he press charges?" Harry asked Ron.

"Press charges? For a punch in the nose? Lucius Malfoy would be embarrassed to admit to being hurt by a fist. Now if they had drawn wands it would be a different story..."

And that was the end of the day. The Weasleys shared a drink with the Grangers in the Leaky Cauldron while the children had Butterbeers, and then they went their separate ways.


	17. Chamber Ch 4: Late for the Express

Harry and Ron could not decide on what to do about the elf. Nothing added up: They wanted to believe the Malfoy's were involved with the visit, but the Malfoys did not seem like the type to get you to do something by claiming to protect you. If they didn't want Ron back at Hogwarts, they would threaten to fire his dad or something, not tell him his life was in danger. Ron also did not believe that a house-elf would have made such a trip unless his master ordered it, no matter how many times it punished itself by hitting its head against the wall. So they were back to the twins' idea: someone in a rich family other than the Malfoy's was playing a trick on them, and used their house-elf to hide who it was; the Lucius Malfoy incident was completely unrelated. It had to be. So while Harry and Ron were bothered that someone would play a sick joke like that on them, they knew their lives could not possibly be in danger, so again put the incident out of their minds.

The first Sunday of September was their last full day in the Burrow, so Ms. Weasley cooked a very special dinner. Harry thought it was a bit odd that the dinner happened to have all his favorite foods, but didn't say anything. Ms. Weasley liked pampering anyone under her roof, and she had 11 years of pampering to catch up with Harry, so he never commented when she spoiled him just a bit more than was probably healthy.

The next morning was hectic. Having six children all getting ready for school was utter chaos, with everyone running in different directions and getting in each other's way. Finally, the trunks were packed in the magically-enlarged trunk of the Anglica, and everyone crowded in. Apparently they took the car to the Station every year, since it had no chimney for Floo powder and Apparition would be tricky, if not impossible, with their luggage. Still, Ms. Weasley seemed nervous about all the magical enhancements, and Mr. Weasley told her for what must have been the dozenth time that they were perfectly legal. They left later than they wanted to, and ended up at King's Cross Station only about 15 minutes early for the train.

As they were about to exit the car, Ron pointed out a wizard who was wearing very oddly-matched Muggle clothes in an attempt to blend it. It was really a normal sight, but somehow, the way Ron said it made it sound like the funniest thing Harry had ever heard. He started laughing uncontrollably. Ron, with one look at Harry, started laughing as well, and even fell between the seats because he couldn't control himself.

"That's enough. Time to go, you will be late!" said Ms. Weasley. When Harry and Ron showed no signs of letting up, she got upset and stormed out of the car. "Come on, everyone. Out, out! If they want to miss the train, they can ride their broomsticks to Hogwarts!"

Everyone piled out the car except Ron and Harry and got their luggage out the trunk. When it was finally empty, Mr. Weasly approached the back door. He thought to open it and physically extract the boys, if necessary, but the door was locked!

"Open the door, boys. This isn't funny any more. You really will be late for the train!"

Then, with a blink, the car was invisible. Mr. Weasly gasped in amazement and jumped backwards. Harry and Ron suddenly lost their will to keep laughing, and moved to unlock the door. As Harry reached for the lock, he car jolted, and began to rise up in the air!

Mr. Weasley did not know what to do. He looked around, and luckily no one seemed to notice the car disappear. He certainly did not want to attract attention by yelling at a car which, although hidden by a disillusionment charm at the moment, he knew was floating somewhere above the parking lot.

"What should we do, Molly?" he asked his wife.

"We? WE? This is _your_ car and _your_ problem. _I_ am going to get these children on the train, and _you_ are getting the car down. That is what _we_ are doing."

Arthur promised himself to find a better way of getting to King's Cross Station the next year. He started planning how he would get the car down, but it would be very difficult. For one, he did not know where it was, other than that it was not on the ground. Maybe he could try throwing his voice into the car...

"Boys, you need to push the handle by the wheel down. That will bring the car back to the ground."

Ron pushed the handle. Nothing happened. They didn't know how to throw their own voices yet, so a conversation with Mr. Weasley was out of the question. They were about fifty metres above the parking lot. They were still invisible, but were no longer rising.

"What are we going to do, Ron? Nothing is working!" Harry and Ron had climbed into the two front seats. They pushed every lever and pedal they could find except for the gas pedal, but none were bringing them back down to earth. Mr. Weasley kept giving them long-distance advice, but since it was mostly useless and they could not respond, they were ignoring him. Ron even pushed the invisibility booster button as a last resort, but the car remained transparent.

Ron shrugged and stomped on the one pedal they had not yet dared to push. The car lurched forward and flew through the air.

"OK, the car runs, it just won't descend. We just need to fly to a hill and carefully crash-land on it. Then we'll get on our broomsticks and fly..."

Ron fell silent. Harry thought he ran out of ideas, but he followed Ron's gaze and saw the Hogwarts Express pulling out of the station.

"Oh, no, we missed the train! I don't even know where Hogwarts is, so how can we get there otherwise? We would almost have to follow the train."

Ron and Harry looked at each other. Even though both were invisible, they knew they were both grinning. Ron stepped on the gas, and the car lurched forward in the direction of the Hogwarts Express.


	18. Chamber Ch 5: The Whomping Willow

They knew they were going to be in trouble. That was a given. The prudent thing to do would be to land, find a way to contact Ron's parents, and have them decide how they would get to Hogwarts. It wouldn't be the end of the world if they were a day late. But they didn't want to be. They were in a flying car, and all they could think about was the grand entrance they would have, landing gracefully on the front lawn as all the students watched in they continued on and accepted their fate.

The pitch control and invisibility booster started working again very soon after they left the parking lot area. The car blinked into existence for a few seconds until Ron turned the invisibility back on. There was nothing to do except enjoy the ride, and adjust the steering occasionally to keep the train in sight. The car's air conditioning was thirty years old, however, and the steadily increasing temperature made Harry and Ron very happy when, after many hours, they saw Hogwarts in the distance. They made it!

Ron was taking it in for a landing. His idea was to drop the car slowly, as not to hit the trees, and land right in the front lawn. He did not have any experience driving (flying?) the car, so he descended faster than he intended and barely missed the tops of the trees. As they passed over the giant willow tree in front of the school, a branch appeared in their vision. The car slammed into it, and dropped.

"Great flying, Ron" said Harry.

"It wasn't my fault! The tree moved! That branch appeared out of nowhere!"

Harry was glad he was unable to respond to that. As he opened his mount, another branch did, indeed, move and hit the car on the hood. The tree was raining blows on them! Ron re-started the engine and threw the car into reverse.

As they climbed out, the car decided it had enough. It ejected the two occupants and their luggage onto the front lawn, and, with a roar, it drove off into the forest. They boys grabbed their belongings and began the trek to the front gate.


End file.
